TRADITIONAL, NOT CONVENTIONAL.

Insomnia (March 4, 2014)

Insomnia is "difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep", and it is one of the most common American complaints. At any one time a third of us have trouble sleeping, and 10% of us have an ongoing problem with it. The impaired mental and physical function that results from sleeping poorly is bad enough in itself, but chronic insomnia is a risk factor in heart disease and diabetes, and it worsens pain conditions as well. So insomnia is not to be taken lightly.

Fortunately it is a problem that can be greatly improved (and often banished completely) by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, eliminating caffeine and alcohol for at least the few hours before bedtime (alcohol may help you get to sleep, but it will also cause you to wake up several hours later), getting some regular exercise (although not vigorous exercise late in the day), and reducing stress (especially by making a point of "winding down" at the end of the evening). If the hour or so before your bedtime is boringly peaceful and relaxing, you're probably on the right track.

Acupuncture has strong evidence of effectiveness in alleviating insomnia. Several supplements of various kinds may also be very helpful. But lifestyle modification is essential to controlling insomnia and should be tried first.